something's a miss
by the-mpreg-spirit
Summary: Slash. mpreg. Harry refuses to leave his Head Boy room. Why? is it because he's showing or is it because he's taking Hermione's advice and studying - except the books he's studying are pregnancy books! There's only one person that can make Harry leave his
1. Headboy sanctuary

"Harry, come out, please?" Hermione called, knocking on Harry's door to his head boy room.

"No Hermione, go away!" He called back and she sighed.

"What are you doing in there?"

"Just studying Mione, taking your advice, newts coming up soon." He said and Hermione sighed again

"Ron wants to know when are you coming to Qudditch practice?" There was a minute of silence.

"I quit!" He said and Hermione gasped

"But Harry, you love Qudditch!" She said and started pulling at the handle and banging on the door. "Open this door Harry, right now! Something's wrong and I intend to find out what!" She snapped.

Harry sighed and listened to Hermione rant, rave, yell, scream and threaten him. He got up from his desk and went to his bed, his Gryffindor red bathrobe fell open, revealing a small bump in his stomach. His hand caressed the bulge slightly and he sighed, knowing he couldn't hide and Hermione, once she calmed down, would figure out a way to open the door. Besides, he was going to have to leave sometime, 8 months was a long time.

He took the bathrobe off, helay down under the blankets andtried to sleep, but worry filled his mind too much for him to get any rest. He had no idea what he was going to do, he was already showing, but after 2 weeks of knowing, he was too scared to tell anyone, especially not after what the child's father had did to him when he had told him...

_Flashback_

_"Come on Har, please tell me what's wrong." Severus Snape asked, wrapping his arms round his Harry as he stared out the window. Harry suddenly became very tense in his arms._

_"What makes you think anything is wrong?" He asked nervously._

_"You've been acting weird all week." He said and Harry sighed._

_"You really want to know?" He asked and Severus buried his face in Harry's neck. Harry took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant." He said and Severus looked up._

_"How far are you?" He asked, his hands flying away from Harry like he had burnt him._

_"About 3 and a half weeks." He said and Severus paced the room._

_"I'll book at St Mungos, how does Monday morning sound?" He asked and Harry frowned._

_"Book for what?" He asked and Severus sighed impatiently._

_"For an abortion, of course!" He said and Harry looked at him, horrified that he could be so cruel._

_"I'm not getting an abortion." Harry said and Severus's face grew red with anger._

_"You will have one!" He shouted and Harry shook his head, not having seen Severus this angry since he had caught him in his pensive. Severus looked shocked that Harry had disagreed. "Then fine, I withdraw all rights to this abomination." He said and Harry felt his anger boil over._

_"Do not call my child an abomination, you heartless bastard!" He yelled pointing his wand at Severus._

_"Get out." Severus hissed and Harry put his wand down. "You heard me, get dressed and get out, I never want to see you in here again." He growled and Harry obeyed and got dressed and left the potions master's quarters. But when he got back to his own room, he fell onto his bed and cried his eyes out._

_End Flashback_

Harry opened his eyes, snapping out of memory lane. Hermione's screaming seemed to have ceased so he got up and got dressed in his school robes over a jumper and a loose fitting pair of pants. He hadn't had breakfast and the baby seemed to be demanding food as his stomach growled again.

He opened the door slightly to check that Hermione wasn't lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce on him. Satisfied that that wasn't the case, Harry left the head suite to get some breakfast from the kitchens…


	2. Stange, very strange

Hermione walked into the library, still peeved about what had happened with Harry. Madam Prince gave her a nod and went back to checking who owed the library fines. She sat down at one of the tables near the back and let out a deep breath. This place was so much better than studying in the Gryffindor common room. Sure, her head girl room was nice, but the problem was she had to share it with Harry.

Sure, Harry was a very nice person and a good friend, but shortly after the year had started, she had discovered he wasn't very nice to live with. He had never had a room of his own before now besides a tiny one at the Dursley's house, and had been ecstatic to finally get one.

When he wasn't sneaking off somewhere, he had taken to jumping on the couch in their own common room, bothering her when she was trying to study and more recently, making strange noises when angry and sobbing dramatically when sad.

Frankly, she now thought that the stress of Voldemort had driven him batty.. There was a noisy scuffle of feet a couple of aisles down and she waited until the person had stopped. She opened her herbology book and sighed before finally getting to studying.

After a few moments, she was on her last nerve at the constant loud breathing, scratching and page turning of the person. She took another deep breath and blocked it out.

_The venomous tantalcular **crunch **is usually found **scratch **in the Rainforests of **sniff**_

She snapped her book shut and stood up, ready to tell the person to shut up or get out. She walked past the aisles, eventually tracing the noise to the aisle third from the wall, standing b a shelf holding a pile of books in one hand while holding a half eaten apple in the other. They were too absorbed in one of their book to notice her. As she approached them, the person looked up and she saw it was Harry.

His eyes widened in fear and dropped most of his books and his apple and spun around, running out the library at lightning speed hanging onto just the book he was reading. She went to pick up his books and frowned at the titles. Why would Harry be reading about _pregnancy_ of all things?

* * *

It's been so long and this story seemd popular so I'm updating it first in my quest to finish myunfinished stories!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Snape is a bastard, yes. In canon and fanon.

Review


	3. Way off

Monday soon came and although lessons started in a half-hour, Harry still lay in bed tiredly. Hermione poked her head round the door and invited herself in.

"Come on Harry, get up, you might be able to get breakfast before transfiguration if you hurry." She said and attempted to pull the covers off his half-naked body. He was more awake when this happened and tugged them from her grip, pulling them almost completely over him, terrified she had seen his baby.

"Tell Mcgonagall I'm not feeling well." He mumbled and rolled over. She didn't reply and for a minute Harry thought she had left.

"You know, you don't have to lie to me Harry, I know." He froze, his hand that had been rubbing his cramping stomach stopped. "Who is she?"

"Eh?"

"The girl."

"Which girl?" she sighed in annoyance.

"The girl you got pregnant." She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I saw the books you were taking out." Harry was thankful the one he had found on male pregnancy was the one he had been reading when she had found him.

"Hermione, you've got it all wrong, it's nothing like that."

"I'll excuse you for today, Harry, but don't expect the same tomorrow," She said like she hadn't heard him. "The headboy has to set an example." With that she turned and swept from the room. Harry waited till he heard the portrait slam before he dared to breathe.

He stood up and stretched as the cramp finally passed. Scratching his head and yawning, he shuffled to the bathroom. Looking at himself in the mirror, he put a hand on his stomach and rubbed it in a circle slowly. He knew it was probably his imagine, but it seemed bigger than on Saturday.

Stripping off his pair of fading hand me down undies, he stepped into the shower. After a few moments, he was interrupted by a banging at his door. Recognizing it, he hopped out the shower and soaking wet and naked, opened the door to see exactly who he expected…

* * *

I'm sure everyone can guess who it is...


	4. Your own loss

"Potter." Snape said, his eyes travelling over the young man standing at the door sopping wet and clothesless. "Do you always answer the door naked? And you wonder why the Dark lord wants to kill you…" It occurred to Harry then that the reason for this visit wasn't reconciliation.

"What do you want, Snape?" Harry said viciously. Snape didn't look surprised at this and merely raised an eyebrow.

"Don't do that Potter. Spite does not suit you." He drawled. "Get dressed and let us get this over with."

"So that's why you're here!" Snape scoffed.

"What did you think, Potter?" The embarrassed blush on his cheeks as he looked at the floor gave it away. "I see…"

"I'm not getting one." Harry thought this might end the same as last time. Instead of shouting as he had previously, Snape merely stared down at Harry. "I'm keeping it. I'll raise it by myself."

"They won't let you keep it. The child will be taken before you even see it. Get rid of it now Potter. Spare yourself the heart break in a few months." Harry just stared at him before wrapping his arms round his middle as if Snape was going to rip him open and pull the embryo out with his bare hands.

"They won't take it away." He said stubbornly and Snape looked down on him. If he had showed any gentleness or sign of wanting to keep the child, there was none of it now.

"Very well. I have warned you, Potter. It is with you own stupidity that you do this." With a swoop of his robes, turned around, pausing only to say one thing.

"Oh, and dare bring my name into it, and you'll wish you'd never been born." Once the portrait closed, Harry growled in frustration and had he been holding something, he would have thrown it. Instead, he sank down onto the floor and gave off a sob. He'd lost his relationship, his position on the Qudditch team and probably a few friends in Gryffindor, but he wouldn't lose this baby. He'd make sure of that…

* * *

I'm finally noticing this story's popularity and have almost finished the entire planning/plot and a couple of chapters. They'll get longer once we het to the main plot, which is a couple of chapters away. Thanks to all who reviewed. I really do love you.

Review please.


	5. Not your business

Two months passed. Snape still treated Harry horribly as he had always done. He must have known but not cared what ingredients he made him handle and how they affected him. In almost every book, they said that Mandrake juice was dangerous for the foetus and should be handled as little as possible, yet they'd worked with it at least four times over the past month. One Saturday afternoon, Harry and gone out to sit by the lake, not expecting Ron and Hermione to get back from Hogsmeade early. He'd grown tired of spending his evenings alone in his room avoiding and had used the free hours a little bit too carefree for his secret's safety.

"Has Harry still been acting strangely? Has he said anything about Qudditch? Why he quit maybe? Hermione?"

Hermione seemed to be ignoring all he was saying, so Ron made an excuse and left the room soon. Hermione meanwhile was deep in thought about Ron's words. Harry had been acting so strangely since the beginning of term. She knew he'd had rough summer and ignored it, but going on for two months afterwards?

She briefly wondered if he could be on drugs and as she went through the papers on his table, told herself she was doing this for his own good. An hour later she had pulled apart his trunk and found absolutely nothing. She lay down on his bed tiredly and something hard hit her head. Rubbing it, she picked up his pillow and shook it. Out fell a thick book. She picked it up and frowned. 'Mother goose, a collection of muggle children's tales.' She opened it and a flipped through the pages, letting out a high-pitched gasp.

* * *

"Miss Granger, this is a very serious issue, are you completely sure?"

"Yes Professor Mcgonagall. Harry has been acting odd all term and I found this in his room on Saturday afternoon." She handed professor Mcgonagall the book and she frowned in a way similar to Hermione.

"Muggle children's tales? Miss Granger, this hardly counts as proof." She said holding out the book to Hermione, who pushed it back.

"Look inside Professor." Hermione insisted and professor Mcgonagall, if she found anything strange about it, didn't say it, but opened the book calmly. She closed it again and raised an eyebrow.

"I see your concern Miss Granger, I shall speak to Mr Potter about this when the time is right. I trust you know the possibility of immoral conception in Mr Potter's condition, if it is true." Hermione nodded. "I ask you not to tell him, as it will only make things more difficult." Hermione nodded again, this time somewhat hesitantly.

* * *

Two nights later, Harry sank onto his bed, head in his hands. He couldn't deny it. The book was gone. Someone had found it. And guessing from the strange looks and close attention she had been giving him, he had an idea who. Stepping over the contents of his trunk that had been strewn across the floor, he gave a long sigh as he left the safety of his room.

Hermione answered the door soon after he knocked and didn't look surprised to see him at such a late hour. She moved aside and he shuffled in. She closed it behind her and turned to Harry again.

"What's so bad that it couldn't wait until morning?"

"I was looking for a book of mine and I was wondering if you'd seen it." Hermione was not fooled by Harry's lies, but played along with his bluff anyway.

"Which book?"

"It's a collection of muggle fairytales."

"Oh yeah, I have that one, but I'm still reading it." Hermione notice the fear in Harry's eyes. "I know Harry."

He didn't look into her eyes, confirming the truth, and didn't speak for a full five minutes. In that time Hermione watched him, trying to work out what he could be going through his mind. If it was her, she'd be unsure if she could handle it, excited scared that she'd make a bad parent. She guessed Harry must be feeling that way right now.

Scared.

Describing Harry as scared was something Hermione never thought she'd do as long as she lived. To be quite honest, the thought of it frightened her. Harry had always been the one willing to stand up to anything with no fear whatsoever, no matter what it was.

"Don't tell anyone." He said quietly.

"I had to."

"Had to? You already told someone?" He looked up sharply.

"It was the right thing to do!"

"It also wasn't any of your business."

"They needed to know, Harry!" He stood up and glared at her.

"Why Hermione?" He said angrily. "Come on, if it was so urgent they know, tell me why?" She opened her mouth to answer, but thought better of it and closed it again. He gave her a triumphant smirk and a sad hollow laugh.

"I knew it. There is no reason. You just can't keep your big, know-it-all mouth shut!" He didn't wait for an answer and spun on his heel, storming out the room and slamming the door behind him.


	6. Promises

"Harry… open the door please." Dumbledore's soft wavering voice spoke calmly to Harry, who lay curled up on his bed, startled at the déjà vu of the situation. He ignored it and whimpered as his stomach growled hungrily. "It's not good to starve your baby and according to Miss Granger, you've been locked up in your room for what? Two days now."

"What does it matter? You're going to make me get rid of it anyway!"

"No one's going to make you abort it Harry, it's your choice."

"Do you promise?"

"With my life, Harry." After a few long moments of contemplating the situation, coming to the conclusion that he was telling the truth, Harry opened the door. "There we go, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Harry's stomach growled again as he came out and Dumbledore's eyes flickered over it for a fraction of a second. Harry put a hand over it protectively.

"Before we go and arrange you some late lunch, I must talk to you Harry, please sit." He gestured to the couch and Harry watched as Dumbledore sat down in the plush overstuffed armchair, crossed his legs and clasped his fingers, waiting for Harry to join him. Reluctantly, Harry sank down onto the sofa next to him and sat quietly under Dumbledore's gaze for what seemed like hours.

"I know this seems like an invasion of your privacy, Harry, but you need to tell me who that father of your child is." Harry didn't even need to consider it. Severus's, no, Snape's words were still fresh in his mind, playing over again every time their eyes met accidentally.

Harry never meant to look at him. He knew even if the man got down on his knees (hell would freeze over first), and begged for forgiveness, he'd never take him back, no matter how much he wanted too. After he'd gotten back to his room that night when he'd been thrown out, he'd made a vow and intended to stick to it. From then on, the child would come first. Before anything else. And now that Snape had made it clear he didn't want anything to do with it, well, he'd have to put that relationship behind him too.

It couldn't have been very long that he sat thinking about Severus, avoiding looking at Dumbledore, but the older man clearly wasn't going to say anything until he got an answer. And that meant he wasn't going to go away either. Harry knew that, once this got out to the school, he was probably trashing his whatever little reputation he had left, but saw no other way out.

"I-I don't know professor." He said and lifted his eyes off the carpet to see Dumbledore looking him disappointedly. He hastily looked down again.

"Harry, I must say, I'm extremely disappointed in you." Those words stung him almost as much as Severus's. "I never expected this from you. Do you have any idea what Voldemort will do when he finds out about this."

"When?"

"Yes Harry, when. It will get out eventually. Pregnancy is not an easy thing to hide. For the next nine months, do you have any idea how much power Tom Riddle holds over you?"

"Professor, it's due in Seven."

"As I said, for the next nine months, maybe longer. You obviously haven't researched much into your pregnancy. I suppose that's due to Miss Granger taking your book. I shall have her return it soon." He noticed Harry looking curiously at him before sighing heavily. "To sustain your pregnancy, your body needs to make certain, changes. I'm sure you've noticed the changes in your magic already."

Harry gave a small nod. Only a few days before, he'd found himself unable to transfigure his rabbit properly and had found himself with a teapot with hind legs, ears and a tail. For some reason, Professor Mcgonagall didn't give him extra homework or Detention. Instead she'd looked at it, looked at him then moved on to the person. Harry got the feeling she knew something more than she was saying.

"As your pregnancy advances, your magic will weaken slowly and by the time you are ready to give birth, you will be the equivalent of a squib. You will remain this way for a certain amount of time afterwards, depending on how your body handles everything." Harry was silent. "Now do you see how dangerous it is?" Harry gave another nod. "You don't have to do this Harry."

"I know professor, but I want to."

"I'll be honest with you Harry. It's not an easy thing, childbirth."

"I don't care."

"Are sure I can't convince you otherwise?"

"No Sir. I want to keep it and nothing's going to change my mind."

"Very well, if you want it, then it is notin mineor theanyone else's rights to stop you having this child…"

* * *

Thanks for you all the feedback so far. Hope you're enjoying it.

Review


	7. Constant torture

Dumbledore was right. But Harry hadn't expected it to be easy in the first place anyway. The regular stomach cramping from his body rearranging itself hadn't stopped for about two months after their little talk. He'd been told that his body would repel any sort of pain potions and had to stick it out. They'd gotten so bad at one point that he'd lay curled up on his bed screaming and wishing he would die and be put out of his misery.

Once those had stopped, he'd been hit with a wave of almost blinding headaches nearly everyday for the next month or so. Still, through all of this, despite being constantly reminded that it could all be over in an hour, Harry had strongly refused to abort it.

He rarely left the head suite unless it was to go to classes or to The Great Hall for food. He had thought that from the day his school robes had to be stretched over his swollen tummy, everybody would know. Strangely enough, they didn't seem to notice and Harry thought that maybe Dumbledore had placed some sort of charm over them or his body to hide it.

Now six months, nearing seven, Harry wondered if backaches were the next horrible thing set to plague him. He put his book down and stretched out, pressing both hands to the sore area of his lower back. He groaned loudly and felt a pair of eyes on him.

"Professor Dumbledore said you might want this back." Hermione said and held out the book labelled 'Mother Goose'.

"Thanks, I really do need it. It's got to have something in here for backache." He said desperately as he took it, flipping through the pages quickly.

"I heard massages work wonders for it." Harry put the book down and looked at her, raising one eyebrow.

"Yeah? Who's going to do it?"

"Can't the father help?" Harry pretended he didn't hear that one. He refused to talk about the father to Hermione, Dumbledore or anyone else who had the guts to ask. Any hints and Hermione was smart enough to figure it out first guess. Snape wouldn't tell. Harry knew that. He treated him like he always had, no regret at all for not being able to know his child. Harry had only caught him looking at it once and it was a look of total disgust. Harry avoided looking at him at all now. "I could try help, if you want..."

Harry didn't answer, but gratefully lifted his dark blue jumper and leant forward. She sat down on the couch and with gentle hands, started rubbing the pained area. He moaned in pleasure and she laughed as he blushed sheepishly.

"I'm sorry Hermione." He said after a few minutes. "I'm sorry that I've been such a prat these past few months. I mean, someone would have found out eventually. You just saved me the embarrassment of the whole school knowing."

"It's ok Harry." He sat back up and she removed her hands. He turned to her and took her hand in his.

"You really are a good friend." He said and put her hand on the exposed skin of his rounded abdomen, where a thin red stretch mark was already forming. "That's why I want you to be Godmother."

"What?"

"If anything happens to me, I want you to take care of it." He said then frowned. "If you don't want to, I understand. I hope I won't ever have to worry about this, but with Voldemort around I've got to make plans for it's future in case I don't make it."

"One step at a time Harry." She said after a moment of uncertainty, not wanting to raise suspicion of what she knew would happen in the end. "Don't you think you should try find the father before making any decisions, even if you don't know who it is, you must have some memory of where it happened?" Harry scowled at her.

"That is none of your business. I don't want anything to do with him and it's going to stay that way." He said, glaring at her. His expression softened when he saw the shock on her face. "Look, I'm happy now, happier than I've ever felt in my life. I've got the baby and I don't need any sort of relationship to mess it up. It's my life now. I need to worry about what's best for it. So, will you be Godmother?"

More than ever in that moment, she wanted her friend to know the truth. To get out of Hogwarts before the inevitable happened. But she didn't, she merely nodded and smiled before being hugged tightly by her doomed-to-be-hurt friend….


	8. Last chance

The persistent knocking at his door was starting get on Severus's nerves. For the past half-hour the imbecile hadn't stopped and wouldn't take a hint that he didn't want company. It grew louder and he grumbled, finding himself unable to think of a nasty comment to write on the pathetic essay in front of him.

He stood up and walked slowly over too the door, which was still being pounded on by the impatient person. An insult of was on the tip of his tongue as he wrenched the door open, but it fell away as he looked over the person. Dark hair no longer stuck up all over his head, but it looked limp and somewhat flat, rather like his own. He acquired that that came from the extra hormones going through him. The face still looked too thin to be healthy and the round glasses still sat on his nose. Harry Potter hardly looked different than from when he'd turned up at Severus's door numerous times for over two months nearly nine of those months ago.

"I've been standing outside for almost an hour. Move." He said and pushed past Severus into his chambers. Severus wasn't about to be pushed around by an eighteen-year-old, but was oddly curious as to what Potter wanted. "I need to talk to you."

"What about?" Potter's hand jumped to his overly large belly and Severus understood. "I thought I told you I want nothing to do with you or _that_." Potter glared at him.

"I know exactly what you said, you slimy git."

"That's rich. Have you looked in a mirror lately, Potter?" Touché. The look on the brat's face was priceless. He got over it quickly, like he had been expecting this when he came.

"I know I've looked better, I mean, I washed it this morning and by twelve it had gone like this again. It just won't stay normal now and…" Potter trailed off, babbling on nervously under his breath. Severus gave and impatient sigh.

"If you are not so hard of hearing, what is it you want?" Potter closed his mouth for a moment before opening it again and looking at Severus.

"I came to find out if you'd changed your mind. It's your last chance." Severus didn't answer but raised an eyebrow and Potter held out a book he'd clutched to his chest to Severus and opened it on the page he wanted, pointing to a specific paragraph. Severus quickly skimmed through it.

"I told you this months ago."

"Read it properly, it says a decision will be made about the child after the birth. I'm not giving them a chance. I'm leaving with it as soon as it's born."

"Does Dumbledore know about this?"

"No. That's the point. I'm not telling them. I've got a safe house planned for us to go to where he won't find us. That's why I want to make sure you want this. Who knows how long it will be before it's safe to contact anyone."

"What if I had to tell the headmaster about this little scheme of yours?" Potter's eyes narrowed.

"I've respected your wishes and kept your name out of it. Now respect mine or I might let it slip that I do know exactly who the father is." Severus mouth went dry, but he kept his expression blank and looked down at Potter, who stared back determinedly.

Severus had never wanted to start this relationship in the first place. It had just happened. No, it had nothing to do with a night of unattached unrequited sex. Severus would never sink to that level. It was merely revenge. To make **him** roll over in his grave. Both of them, wherever Black's body was. But apparently Potter had thought otherwise when he turned up at his door two nights later. And the night following.

Somehow, Potter had the idea of a serious relationship and Severus could kick himself for not squashing the idea straight away. Now the idiot had the threat hovering above him, like an anvil just waiting to be dropped. The boy still had no idea the damage he could do with a single word to Dumbledore.

"My silence for yours. May I wish you and your," He peered down at the bulging abdomen that looked out of place on Potter's small frame. "Offspring, luck on your most exciting journey." He added sarcastically and before Harry could say anything, Severus gripped his shoulder, turned him around and pushed him out the room. He looked at Potter's hurt face right before he slammed the door shut. That was the last time Severus saw him before he went into labour…


	9. Time

"Severus, don't be like this…"

"Never Minerva. Tell Albus I refuse."

"Filius won't be able to do very much and neither will Hecta." The head in the fire said quickly. "I cannot hold him down alone and you know Potter will put up a fight." Severus sighed angrily and Professor Mcgonagall smiled before frowning again determinedly.

"Miss Granger informed us that he's been jumpy or so for the past day and caught him packing some of his belongings early this morning. She's bringing him up to the hospital wing in about ten minutes so we can… prepare." Her head disappeared and Severus looked back at the potion brewing in his laboratory before taking it off the flame and trudging up to the hospital reluctantly, neither eager nor curious to witness the birth of Potter's child.

Taking his time, Severus eventually reached the infirmary and into the second section, usually for seriously ill students, but now kept empty for when the time came, which from the scene before him, seemed to have come.

Mcgonagall and Granger were at Potter's side, but he seemed to be screaming obscenities and thrashing away from Poppy Pomfrey as she attempted to give him a potion. He approached as they shoved the top of the vial into his lips, but he soon pushed it back and spat it all out over Granger's robes.

He pushed the naive Gryffindor out the way and took the potion bottle. Holding Potter's chin, he held his nose closed. After a few seconds, the pursed lips parted to breathe. Severus took advantage of this and, tilting his head back, forced the open bottle into his mouth. Potter struggled for a moment as the vial emptied, desperately trying to get air into his lungs.

He had no choice and as he glared up at Severus, swallowed the thick opaque liquid that was choking him. Severus made sure every drop was gone before removing the vial and loosening the grip on him. Potter took a gulp of air before struggling again, though he wasn't screaming, instead, he whispered hurriedly in a panic.

"No… not here, I can't… he said I mustn't." He struggled to form sentences and soon screamed again, twisting even more wildly, bucking his hips despite the vastness of his abdomen. Pomfrey hurried over and looked between Potter's legs, giving a nod.

"The potion's taking effect." She said through the shouts of protest as Potter called her names he had never even heard. He guessed from the gasp Granger, who was standing in the corner quietly, gave, that they were muggle.

Severus was surprised over the next hour at Potter's strength, how he still continued struggling, refusing to breathe a certain way or push like Pomfrey told him to. The baby, tests assured, would still remain healthy no matter if he kept this up for the next two days. Severus hoped it wouldn't take that long, he had classes tomorrow morning and was looking forward to finishing the potion he'd been making.

He lost track of time, but it became clear that Potter was getting tired as he struggles got weaker and his skin paler. It seemed while the baby could stay healthy, the same didn't apply to Potter. Severus didn't think he meant to give in, but it seemed Potter's body refused to fight anymore and started pushing.

He was silent through the next six or so hours, maybe scared or perhaps just too ashamed to say anything. Eventually, when he looked like he was going to pass out and the sun had started to rise, shining through the window, they finally made some real progress.

Severus no longer needed to hold him. It seemed like even if he did run, he was too tired to get anywhere before they caught him anyway.

"The head's coming, hold his legs back." Pomfrey said and Potter whimpered as each teacher held a knee, spreading his legs wide apart. "I need you to cooperate now Mr. Potter."

"Screw you." He snarled bitterly at her, but on the next contraction, closed his eyes, leant back and gave a long painful push.

Severus had heard all sorts of stories about how fathers who didn't want the children changed their minds when they saw them. It seemed he didn't even have to fight to remain neutral to it.

He watched Potter's face screw up in pain and soon there was a loud high-pitched crying. Potter was breathing deeply and smiled tiredly as he watched Madam Pomfrey hold it up.

"Give it here." Everyone, even Severus, was surprised when the headmaster appeared behind her, but Madam Pomfrey handed the baby to him. He held one hand behind its neck and the other under its bottom. It was still crying.

He stared at it before dragging a single finger down one of its cheeks.

Yes…" He said in a strange whisper…

"Professor…" Potter said from the bed, still smiling. "Can I hold my baby now?"

"No." Potter sat up.

"I'm sorry professor, I must have heard wrong…"

"I'm afraid not. Poppy, put it in the chamber." He gave the baby to Pomfrey, who carried it, still naked, bloody and screaming, out the room.

"I don't understand." For the first time, Dumbledore looked at him.

"It is out of wedlock. A bastard child must be dealt with in Jacobson's law." Suddenly Potter tried to get out of bed and Severus and Mcgonagall had to hold his him as he struggled to get to the headmaster.

"No! The book said that it would be decided after the birth."

"It is after the birth now, is it not?" Potter swore angrily at him.

"You said yourself I could keep it! That no one would make me give it up."

"I said no one would stop you having it. I never once mentioned raising it." Dumbledore didn't rise to Potter's shouts and protests, but just stared at him.

"I must go to prepare…" Dumbledore merely turned around and walked around the room.

Harry looked around for help. Mcgonagall didn't say anything and quietly left the room without looking at him. He looked at Hermione in shock, only three of them left in the room.

"You… You knew?" He said to her in shock.

"I'm sorry Harry." He was suddenly out of bed and would have probably killed her if Severus's strong hands hadn't grabbed his arms. He lunged at her, screaming angrily. Severus considered for a moment letting go and his gripped slipped.

Granger ran out of the room and Severus caught Potter again, holding his arms around his chest and forcing him to stay still.

"It's for the best, Harry."

Potter didn't reply to him, but the tears in his eyes showed the painful betrayal of everyone around him.

* * *

It gets interesting from here onwards...

I've got a new community at livejournal with my stories that I've never posted anywhere else up. A new dark-fic has just gone up tonight and I would really appreciate the feedback. Just go to my profile and click homepage. Thanks.

Review


	10. Discovery

Severus wondered why exactly the headmaster was keeping it all covered up. If he was willing to take Potter's child, surely his dignity wasn't so important that he felt the need to place spells on his entire student body.

As another student went past him, scuttling off to their afternoon lesson, he felt the residual magic coming from them.

He'd found it surprisingly easy to focus on teaching that day, considering the events of that morning. Coming down from the seventh floor with two young Slytherins who had gotten into a fight, he noticed something strange. Judging from how the two first years were still staring at the floor, ashamed of their actions, he guessed only he could see it.

He scowled at first years, telling them to wait in his office and they hurried off. Once they were out of sight, he sighed and turned to door further down the corridor.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" He snapped and Potter stopped and looked up, his hand still clutching the doorhandle. He then looked back at the door and tugged again.

"I'm trying to get my child out."

_Typical Potter to get the right door on the wrong floor. Idiot. _Severus watched him continue trying to open the obviously spelled door in unamused silence. Potter stopped again, tired and out of breath. He still looked rather pale and though his school robe (obviously in the panic of the birth, Madam Pomfrey had discarded it and Potter had found it somewhere in the hospital wing) was too loose, blood was soaking through it.

"Surely you realize that it has been locked with a spell? Even you wouldn't be that dim, Potter."

"I know that." Potter snapped at him, still doubled over. "I can't use magic right now. Not for at least a month after the birth."

"What a shame." An idea had sparked in Potter's head, because his eyes brightened and he looked up at Severus.

"You could open it…"

"No Potter."

"No one would know that you did and me and the baby would be long gone before anyone realized it." Severus didn't say anything, but stared down at Potter, his eyes cold, showing no emotion. He felt nothing for him anyway. His eyes were wide and had a pleading look to them. _Naïve_. _A naïve little boy who couldn't take care of himself, much less a child._

"I thought I made it clear to you, Potter. No, I do not want anything to do with you or and I most certainly do not want your snivelling bastard child." He saw the look and couldn't help himself. He put a hand on Potter's shoulder. "It'll go to a good home Potter. Better than you or I could have ever provided."

Potter didn't even look at him, but pulled away, turning and running out of sight.

* * *

"It's a very beautiful child. Wouldn't you say so, Severus?" 

Severus watched Dumbledore once again stroke the child lying in the cot in front of them. He merely grunted at the Headmaster. Clearly he wasn't put out by the weak answer.

"Madam Pomfrey told me that Harry has fled the castle. What a shame. The ritual would have been much more powerful if he was involved. I take it you will be attending Severus, first thing tomorrow morning?" Severus looked at him.

"Ritual? What about the new parents?"

"New parents?" Dumbledore looked confused for a moment before laughing slightly. "Oh Severus, you're talking about adoption! There will be no need for that, not where this little one is going…" He brushed a hand over its head again.

"Going?"

"Are you not aware of Jacobson's law, Severus? I suggest you go read. We will need your assistance…"

* * *

An hour later, Severus sat in his quarters, horrified at what he'd read. Clearly Dumbledore wanted to perform the ritual to strengthen them in the fight against Voldemort, but it came at a price. 

The price of a child's life.

And Dumbledore wanted him to be there.

Looking up at clock, Severus made a very rash decision, one that would having him asking himself what he'd been thinking at a later time. He reached for his thick coat and left the safety of his rooms for the last time...

* * *

Running out of the doors, he knew he was taking a big risk. Potter could be long gone by now. The rain poured down, beating upon his head and he stopped as he reached the edge of the forest.

Shivering, he looked down. Running forward into the foliage, he tightened his grip on the blanket-wrapped baby.

He hoped he was doing the right thing…


	11. Hogsmeade

_Dreaming, at anytime, was unusual for Severus Snape and when he did, they were dark, filled with memories, angry and hateful. That was why he looked at the scene around in him in somewhere between awe and shock._

_To his right were Black and Potter, both screaming in agony as their bones burned to dust, to his left that old fool sat in chains like the proverbial ones he'd placed on so many, Severus included. And at his feet lay the head of the dark lord._

_A soft sweet voice ahead of him, he stepped forward out of the darkness and into the plethora of color. The voice continued, intriguing Severus, calling out to him. The colors started to change, getting lighter and softer. And then there, the source of that sweet beautiful music..._

_Facing away, someone turned to him. Bright eyes shining and watching at him, calling his name again. Severus could help it going to him like a lost puppy. The pastels around him seemed to brighten as he got closer. Thin arms were wrapped around something. moving it away from his body, the singing stopped instantly, replaced with screaming, horrible high pitched crying._

_And Severus was pulled back. He shouted out to Harry, who watched sadly, the baby in his arms, as Severus was forced further and further away until he fell, still shouting for Harry to help him.._

When he woke the next morning, he blinked and looked around at the blurred environment. The sunlight was shining and he had to think for a moment before remembering what he had done and where he was. His head snapped down to the weight on his lap and sure enough it was there. The boy's offspring. It only got worse as Severus realized he was on he edge of the forbidden forest.

Finally realizing what he had done, Severus groaned. What had gotten into him? Why had he just risked his whole life for one of what he despised most? Not only was it a child, it was a Potter. It was still asleep and he stood up, knowing he'd need to take care of its needs soon. He started on his trip to Hogsmeade.

* * *

"Thank you very much, no really, we'll just be on our way, we're okay." Severus assured the young woman standing in the door way of a home in Hogsmeade an hour later. She was holding a little baby of her own, it had to be less than a year old. It gurgled on into the distance as Severus walked down the cobblestone street

He'd had to actually be nice to them because they'd given him food and a change for the baby. The very thought made him nauseous. He looked to his left, wondering where to start.

Potter, in most ways, was predictable, as were his actions, and Severus knew if he'd go anywhere, it'd be Hogsmeade. The only thing now was to find out where, give him the child and go into hiding. The old fool would know that he'd taken the child, as would The Dark Lord, who was already making plans similar to Dumbledore. Severus had no choice but to tell him three months ago or risk being a test for a new torture curse.

If he had any hope of surviving this war, neither could find him...

* * *

Using some of the funds he'd been wise enough to bring with him, he'd booked into a nearby inn and bought some baby supplies. After a decent night's sleep, he'd started asking around. 

Severus sank down onto a bench two days later, genuinely stumped.

Nobody around had seen a boy of Potter's description and Severus started to wonder if it wasn't only the students who had been charmed not to notice him. He was just starting to wonder if Potter maybe wasn't as predictable as previously thought when the woman next to him on the bench turned to him.

"I've been watching you... Maybe I can help..."

_The storm the previous night had been hard and as Tatania Wilkinson went out side, dressed in her wellies and thick jacket to keep out the bitter early-morning chill in the air, she hoped it hadn't damaged in her plants. The air smelled of rain and she smiled, moving through her small but colourful garden._

_She stopped. Something was off. She was never the prettiest or the smartest woman, but she had an oddity about her. Her mother had called it her 'curse' and refused to talk off it, while her late husband, bless his soul, had taken rather the opposite view and encouraged her to tell him what she saw, laughed and called it her 'third eye',. It had saved them pain and misfortune many times._

_What her third eye missed was him falling down the stairs after a massive heart attack. It had been nearly twenty years._

_She sighed and her eyes travelled around her garden, even though she knew what to look for. True enough, behind her shrubs and under the big oak tree near the edge of her property, it was there._

_It was raining again. She watched the kitchen window. Ten minutes ago, she had brought the boy some dinner and tea, more out of habit than anything else. She knew he would touch it. She took a sip of her own tea.. She'd left the back door unlooked. She waited. She listened. Two minutes later it slammed shut and she heard the splashes of the puddles outside. She sighed again. She'd hoped she was wrong. She wasn't._

He paused and the woman watched him. His brain was still registering the information when she spoke again.

"He went north."

* * *

Severus came back down the mountain late in the evening, finally reaching the bottom. There was nothing up the mountain. He'd found a cave, but it had been empty besides daily prophets, chicken bones and what looked a lot like hippogriff droppings 

Potter was lucky he wasn't there or Severus might have kicked his head in. Well, if he'd been there, Severus wouldn't have gone up the stupid mountain in the first place.

Losing his cool for a moment, he screamed in frustration and kicked the nearest rock hard. The child in his arms, irritated by being jostled and held all day, started to cry and he looked at it, regaining his composure, or as much as he could muster in his current state.

He stopped for a minute, putting it on his his shoulder and rubbing its little back. It hiccuped a few times and stopped. It was much easier than he thought, easy to satisfy. He barely resisted comparing it to Potter. He looked around. It was getting darker by the minute and while his need for a hot bath could wait, he knew the infant would need a change soon.

Resigning himself to the fact that he wouldn't make it back to the hotel that night in time, he was guided only by memory to the nearest building. The shrieking shack.

* * *

With the child shifted to one arm, now sleeping peacefully, thank Circe, he took out his wand and prepared to blast the planks off of the door. Imagine his surprise when the wood didn't blast away. It fell to the floor with a thump. His stomach turned over. 

He moved forward. As he stepped through the broken barrier, the hairs on the back of his neck tingled and he cast 'lumos' on his wand. It lit up. The child made a noise. He ignored it and went deeper into the ruined building.

Someone had been in here recently, there was fresh blood on the floor and a path where the dust was gone, as if something had been dragged. It stopped at the bed.

His stomach jumped again. In the dim light, he could faintly see a pile of clothing on the bed. He recognized it instantly and spun around to see if Harry was behind him. He wasn't but it had managed to startle the child. He patted its back softly and it quieted again. He turned back to the material and, shifting the baby, lifted it up.

Something clattered to the floor.

If he was anything else, not a Slytherin, maybe not a Death Eater, Severus would have given a long-suffering sigh. Potter had left both robes and wand behind and there was a faint tingle of apperation magic (how did he manage that when his magic wasn't functioning? He had given birth less than a week ago.) in the air. That could only mean one thing.

Harry had truly left the Wizarding world behind...

* * *

The winds of change are upon me/us/you/whatever...

In case you didn't hear, I have posted a new 'story' called Cendrillon, which isn't really a stor but a bunch of my drabbles from past and present. There will be quite a few Snarry, the first being posted about a half hour ago called 'always'.

I'm making it my goal to post a drabble everyday for the next year :D

There's also a challenge. Go read and participate!

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